Long-Term Effects of Xanax
Legacy Healing Center Blog
Xanax is a powerful benzodiazepine whose sedative properties have made it revered yet infamous in the medical community. It is highly addictive due to its mood-boosting and relaxing effects, making it that much easier to develop a dependency. As people build up a tolerance for the drug, they will need more of it each time to produce the same effects. Legacy is going over the long-term effects of Xanax abuse and why doing so can cause serious damage.
Can You Take Xanax Long-Term?
Xanax is specifically designed as a short-term drug, with most prescriptions only lasting up to six weeks. Even though it is not meant to be taken long-term, many doctors still continue to prescribe it far past the recommended time frame. It is also worth noting that many people who develop an addiction to Xanax have never abused drugs in the past. It is a common misconception that having a doctor’s prescription erases the likelihood of addiction or abuse. The sad reality is that many kinds of prescription drugs are among some of the most heavily abused substances out there.
Whether a person follows their physician’s orders and convinces them to prolong their prescription or if they take more of the drug at one time than is prescribed, losing access to it can result in severe and dangerous withdrawal symptoms. In the case of benzodiazepine abuse, “Benzo Belly” and other symptoms can be incredibly uncomfortable and even fatal. This is why Legacy offers substance-specific detox programs for the people of Cincinnati.
The Long-Term Side Effects of Xanax Abuse
There are a wide variety of physical and mental consequences of abusing Xanax. While some may be treatable, others can have a lasting effect on a person for an unpredictable amount of time.
Long-term effects of Xanax abuse include:
- Cognitive issues
- Lack of inhibition
- Feelings of depression
- Seizures during withdrawal
- Irregular heart rates
- Inexplicable panic or anxiety
- Difficulty breathing
- Thoughts of suicide
- Inability to concentrate
- Deterioration of vision
If there is suspicion that you or someone you love may be at risk for Xanax abuse, do not hesitate to seek out professional help. Not only are withdrawal symptoms especially risky with this form of addiction, but preventing relapse is especially difficult to do on one’s own. Clinical benzo addiction treatment is crucial to those struggling to break away from this dangerous habit. Long-term abuse can literally rewire the brain’s circuitry, which may require professionals to intervene and address. That is where we come in.
Our Benzo Addiction Treatment Center Is Here for You
The damage from persistent Xanax abuse is undeniable and will only get worse if left untreated. Luckily, Legacy’s Cincinnati rehab center is equipped with a variety of effective programs that can provide support and education regarding addiction. With a number of therapeutic methods at our disposal, patients can comprehensively address all facets of their disease and learn healthy coping mechanisms to apply moving forward. One such example would be our rapid-resolution therapy, which allows patients to trace back the presence of traumatic experiences and how these events still affect them today.
To learn more about our other options for addiction treatment, call Legacy Healing Center Ohio today at 513-586-4971.
Related Reading